A fairy tale for the 21st Century

Think back to when your most treasured possession was your classic tin Disney princess lunchbox. Maybe it still is your most treasured possession. Either way, much can be determined from analyzing such a lunchbox: Princess eyelash lengths vary greatly, Snow White's skin is actually less white than some of her fellow princesses and diversity in fairy tale land is lacking.This December, Princess and the Frog will revolutionize the lunchbox, adding a new character to the annals of Disney princess history. The timeless story will follow a black princess named Tiana through the city of New Orleans and will be the first princess story on this side of the Atlantic since Pocahontas.

Not only will the new princess have some color, but the prince will not be the usual man in tights - at least for most of the movie. Instead, Prince Charming will be a green leaping frog asking for help from the lovely maiden.

Though modern in its characters and setting, Princess harks back to the classic fairy tales we grew up with by using traditional hand-drawn techniques. In 2003, after the success of Shrek and Finding Nemo, Disney made the decision to switch to computer-generated technology. However, after Disney took over Pixar in 2006, Pixar co-founders lobbied for Disney to go back to its traditional methods.

"I've never understood why the studios were saying people don't want to see hand-drawn animation," John Lasseter, co-founder of Pixar and executive producer of Princess, said. "What people don't want to watch is a bad movie."

The idea was born - to make a movie using traditional hand-drawn methods but make it a success with a witty and fun storyline. I, for one, can't wait to see the result. Yes, computer animated movies like The Incredibles have been very enjoyable, but it will be a breath of fresh air to come back to Disney princess roots: hand-drawn images dancing and singing in the characteristic Disney musical style. It's part of the magic!

Princess producer Peter del Vecho commented on this point. "There is a whole new generation now that hasn't experienced a great musical, hasn't experienced a big, epic fairy tale," he said.

Ron Clements and John Musker were chosen for the job - the same writer-director team that created The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. I love the comedy and fresh outlook of both these movies, and it is pretty likely that their third project will be as enchanting as their first two.

Princess will greatly affect the next generation of Disney movies. If it fails, hand-drawn animation will be labeled outdated and fade into a childhood memory. If it succeeds, traditional animations may start to combine with modern stories to create a comeback.

Lasseter holds great enthusiasm for the newest princess movie. "If there was a single lesson we could take from Walt himself to take Walt Disney Animation Studios into the future," he said, "it is to leverage the richness of its past," he said. "Its beloved storytelling forms, its successful characters, its musical opulence - all of these are an essential part of our newest hand-drawn project."

The movie seems to have all the ingredients of a spectacular fairy tale, and I eagerly await Dec. 11 when it comes out into theaters. Nothing can beat a classic Disney princess movie. Not only will that tin lunchbox have a new addition, but ladies, next Halloween, you will have yet another princess costume option.